US President Donald Trump said the attack was a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's Idlib on Tuesday, which Washington and its allies blame on the Syrian government.

"Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the air field in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," the president told reporters.

The missile strike resulted in casualties among Syrian servicemen and damages to the facility and military equipment.

The move was welcomed by a number of countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Turkey, while Russia described the attack as an "act of aggression against a sovereign state" and said the missile strike played in the hands of terrorists.

According to Koray Gurbuz, a military expert at the Ankara-based Bilkent University, the US missile strike in Syria is a violation of international norms and indicates that instead of negotiating with Syria’s legitimate government, Washington acts by force in favor of terrorists.

"If we want to explain why the US delivered a missile strike on the Syrian airbase we need to take a look back at what was happening around Iraq 15 years ago. In order to invade Iraq, the US provided false information and fake images that the Iraqi government allegedly used chemical weapons against their citizens," Gurbuz said in an interview with Sputnik Turkey.

On Tuesday, the Syrian National Coalition of Revolution and Opposition Forces (SNC) reported that some 80 people were killed and 200 others injured in a chemical weapons attack in Idlib. The opposition group blamed the Syrian Army for the attack.

Later, the Syrian Army command rejected the allegations, saying the responsibility for the attack lies with militants and their sponsors.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that its Fact Finding Mission has begun the process of gathering and analyzing information from all available sources.

"There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council. Years of previous attempts at changing Assad's behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically," President Trump said.

Gurbuz suggested that Washington’s goal in Syria is to repeat the Iraqi scenario.

"The US invaded Iraq. Today, the country is plunged in chaos, panic and uncertainty. Iraq is de-facto torn into pieces. The Iraqi government is controlled by Washington," the expert said.

According to him, the preparation for the "Iraqi scenario" for Syria has been underway for a while.

"Media has published photos and images about chemical weapons in Syria. A number of statements have been made that the US was very concerned. There have been calls for Washington’s active involvement in the situation. Of course, there is no coincidence," Gurbuz pointed out.

He further elaborated on the possible scenario of Washington's next steps in Syria.

"The US is nurturing a plan of a full-scale intervention of Syria. Instead of establishing contacts with the legitimate Syrian government, Washington prefers violating international law and acting by force in favor of terrorist groups," he said.

Gurbuz also said that the ultimate goal of Washington’s policy in Syria is to establish a "puppet government," in order to pressure and control other sovereign states in the region.

"Their attempts to help establish a Kurdish entity on Iraqi and Syrian territories are also part of this plan. Thus, the missile strike in Syria is another step towards this goal," he concluded.

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